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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · hide · spring · patient · shower · chair · present · root

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — a gift
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. present — the time now
  7. shower — to wash
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chair — a leader
  11. shower — rain
  12. root — the cause
  13. spring — of water
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. root — of a plant
  20. present — there
  21. root — of a word
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. spring — the season
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com